


Anniversary

by drakonlily



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-18
Updated: 2010-05-18
Packaged: 2017-10-09 13:45:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drakonlily/pseuds/drakonlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Request: Yuffie. An exploration of her past, her time in WRO, or how she rescues the kidnapped Wutain children. Really, I'd be happy with anything that can take her seriously. I really like the interactions Yuffie has with pretty much any character, but I'd adore something with Vincent, Reeve, Cid, Godo, and/or Red XIII in it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wingeddserpent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingeddserpent/gifts).



> I love Yuffie, so when I saw this request I had to have it. I hope that I covered the bases that my giftee wanted. Thanks for reading.

Anniversary

"I don't know what makes you-" Godo's age was showing, the once great warrior had a slight limp now, bones giving into age and stress. His exasperation was great, but there was an edge of lost control in his voice. "We have tradition-"

"We are now the richest nation in the Planet." Yuffie was removing a decorative kimono, something that she had worn during the Ceremony of the Burning Maidens. It was supposed to crown her as the leader of Wutai, a figurehead position that was mostly run by the council. Her comment was soft, pleased and silencing. "I am going to continue to rule it, father." She strode to her closet from behind a dressing screen and began to sort through the closet.

Godo let out a little snort and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at the wall before him, his back against her wall. There was a little mirth in his voice. "What about saving orphans and the WRO?" He had been surprised when Yuffie picked up the ancient tradition of Wutain rulers traveling to find themselves; he had been more surprised when she defeated him and took possession of the Conformer. "If you take over more than just rebuilding, you will not be able to be that Hero."

When Yuffie stepped out of her room to meet her father at the doorway she was clad in a smart business suit. The twin tails would have reminded him of another young ruler, but this suit was crisp and black with a commanding red trim and lining. She adjusted the collar and smirked. "I don't need to prove myself anymore, father."

Godo was smiling proudly and when he spoke again, it was more amused than anything else. "And what of the traditional kimono, my daughter?"

She winked at him and then started off down the hall ahead of her. With Godo following behind her shoes clicked on the polished floor. When she reached the end of the hall she looked up at him and shrugged. "What of it?"

++

"Somethin' told me ya didn't just invite me ta show off ma ship." Cid muttered to the still suited Yuffie on his deck. He clamped his teeth about his cigarette and looked her over. "Nice suit, ya find Rufus' tailor?"

She laughed and waved a hand. "Gawd, you don't think it really looks like that do you?"

Cid cocked his head to one side and looked her over. "Naw, ya look smart, Yuffers. Just don't puke on it."

Yuffie bristled, it looked less childish when she was fully dressed and she crossed her arms under her chest and huffed. "Learn ta keep your hands steady ya old shit!"

"I fly like a GODDAMN ARROW, girly! Straight and true!"

"An OLD arrow with the SHAKES."

The two of them glared at each other for a moment before Cid cracked up and Yuffie dropped into giggles. Cid reached for his smokes and pulled the small woman into a hug. "Ya grew up right nice, Yuffie. I'm proud a ya."

"Of course I did! Was there ever any doubt?" She hugged him back and tilted her nose in the air. With the ship safely on the ground, she leaned over the railing and let the air whip against her face.

"Wutai's always been damn pretty, ya know?" Cid said from behind Yuffie. The smoke from his cigarette drifted over her shoulder and disappeared into the painted sunset.

She nodded, face glowing in pride. The way that the reds and greens of Wutai folded into the sea reminded her of a flower, something too perfect to be real. Yuffie had always felt blessed by it. Everything was for Wutai's glory. The two sat silently for a long while before she spoke up. "Ey, Cid? Thanks for helping me out."

"It's a good cause."

++

"Lady Yuffie!"

Reeve wasn't particularly nervous by nature; however, Yuffie had a bad habit of jumping out of the shadows and it tended to make everyone jump. The fact that she yelled at the top of her lungs added nothing calming to her sudden appearance. "Hello Reeve!"

He fumbled with whatever it was that he was tinkering with and glared at her from under his messy brown hair. When Yuffie didn't say anything Reeve sighed and placed the item down. "What can I owe the pleasure to?"

Yuffie smiled brightly. "You don't have to take that tone, I thought we were friends!"

He sighed but it was more being tired than exasperated. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your Coronation. I was busy with everything and this proposal that your financial person sent me is… fairly tight, I have to say."

"You all doubted me. I'm wounded!" She'd changed from her suit and was now in something a little more casual and suited to the winter at Edge. She hopped up on Reeve's workbench as though she owned it. "You're not THAT busy are you?"

"I'm always that busy." Reeve said. He sat down the item he was working on. He had plans and sketches and schematics tossed all over the entire table. "And you did want my help on the Wutai projects already, I'm really swamped."

"I paid for that, you remember!" She picked up a half done model from the table she was sitting on and fiddled with it. "I wanted to invite you somewhere."

"And ShinRa needs and appreciates the money as much as the WRO does…" Reeve's voice drifted off and there was a distrustful pause. "Will this get me shot at?"

An exasperated sigh came out of her mouth. "No, Cid's going!"

"Is this going to get me lanced?"

She glared at him and Reeve lifted his hands in surrender. "I was teasing!" He managed to laugh at Yuffie's expression. "Is this for your Coronation?"

She shook her head. "MUCH more important." She flipped out a nice, crisply rolled parchment and handed it over. "Tifa's already coming so she'll strong arm you if she has to."

Reeve unrolled the paper and read it over. "Well, you could have said so to begin with."

++

Yuffie hadn't expected the house to be so well nestled into the little city outside of Junon. It was far enough away from the shore to only smell of salt water and not fish. The directions that she had written down lead her up a path away from town to a house with big windows. The outside appeared to be well cared for. The idea of Vincent in a sun hat to try to protect his pure white skin amused her for longer than expected.

She knocked on the door and waited, thankful for the amusing image. "VINCE!" When there was no answer she groaned and pushed at the door. The moment that she realized that it was unlocked Yuffie felt momentary worry. "Vincent? Come on, I don't like it when you don't answer me!"

She could hear the shower going upstairs however, and relaxed. While it wasn't like him to not lock his door, she supposed being a walking weapon and out in the middle of nowhere meant he didn't need to be paranoid.

She slid up to the shower door. "Yo VINCE!"

There was a fumbling sound, a muffled voice and then she could hear Vincent clearly. She felt pride that he sounded surprised. It was difficult to gauge emotions with Vincent, as almost all of his tones seemed to be threatening. "Yuffie."

"Ya busy?"

"I'm in the shower."

"Can I come in?"

"Do you want to remain in possession of your eyes?"

She giggled. "Fine, like I wanted to see your pale ass anyway."

"What is it you want?" She could hear him fumbling around the shower, though he left the water on.

Yuffie waited politely till the man opened the shower door and slid out of it. He didn't leave much space between himself and the door, probably to allow the steam to remain. He did, in fact, have a slight sunburn. She was disappointed that the housecoat he'd chosen to put on was black and so were the pants.

"I was sort of hoping you'd have graduated to a color… something crazy. Maybe brown."

"My water is getting cold."

She rolled her eyes and made an exaggerated sigh. "This is important." Another rolled parchment was presented, identical to the one that she gave Reeve. "I managed to pry Cloud away from his bike; you can give me a minute too."

He took a moment to look over the invitation and if she didn't know better, he almost cracked a smile. "Fine." He put the item into the pocket of the robe and looked her over. "You got a haircut." Vincent observed.

"You need one."

He closed his red eyes and sighed.

++

She chose to ride to the canyon on a chocobo. It wasn't that she didn't like the company, a crowded airship almost made it worth the airsickness. However this was the way to enjoy Cosmo Canyon. The wind was sharper in the red and orange cliffs than it was in Wutai. The sun danced and glistened off of the walls that had been carved long before the Jenova Wars.

Yuffie put her bird into the hands of the trustworthy stables and enjoyed the sounds of the fire pits and the roasting of treats. She had to stop short as a pair of children rushed past her waving sticks like swords and whooping like cranes. Part of her wanted to run after them and make believe a dragon, or tell stories of the epic adventurous princess who followed a handsome knight to the battle for the Planet.

She'd leave out how that knight's armor was tarnished and worn; she'd leave out the haunted evenings and the dead silent mornings. She would leave out when they were wondering how long they would be alive. Yuffie would tell the story but she would leave out the details; the parts that made the mythos real were the ones that no one wanted to hear. She would leave out how Vincent couldn't sleep at night, how he and Cloud got stiff when you hugged them.

Yuffie bit her lip. There was no one to be angry with anymore. All they had were haunted expressions and numerical tattoos. She climbed the footpath of the canyon and tried to banish the part of her that ached when she couldn't just fix everything. Tifa had said that she took on too much, but someone had to. All the pain they'd gone through was going to drift away from the stories because no one wanted to hear that part.

At the plateau of the cliffs, Yuffie finally found who she was looking for. "Good afternoon, Warrior of the Canyon."

Nanaki tilted his head at her and the fire that burned at his tail crackled in the dirt. "My regards, Lady of Wutai."

She couldn't keep a straight face and neither could he. She laughed and dropped down to her knees and wrapped both of her arms firmly around Nanaki's neck. She buried her face in his mane. "I missed you."

A purr lumbered in Nanaki's deep chest. "As I have you, Yuffie." He nuzzled his head into hers. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have an invitation." Yuffie pulled out the parchment for him and spread it out on the floor; she sat down and held the top of the paper while Nanaki's paw held down the bottom. "And it's very important."

Nanaki scanned it and started. He lifted his paw and the parchment rolled back up against Yuffie's hand. "… I… but that is not … I do not know my birthday exactly, Yuffie."

"It's the day we met. Close enough for me! You're the guest of honor; you're not too busy are you?"

He wrapped the tail around his paws and sort of shrank. "I… you all are going through the trouble for me?"

"Nanaki, we're your friends and we love you. Even Vincent's coming, AND Cloud." She rocked back up to her knees before reaching out and putting a hand on his nose. "I wanted to surprise you."

The tail didn't burn when it brushed against Yuffie's arm. Nanaki unwrapped and took a step forward so he could press his head under her chin. The tail wrapped behind her and Yuffie sat comfortably with Nanaki half in her lap. "You've grown up a lot since then, Yuffie."

"Hey, fleabag, you have too." She couldn't help but scratch his ear. "Maybe they'll stop seeing us as the babies one of these days, you think?"

"I think we all have the most faith in you, Yuffie. That does not, however, mean that we've forgotten your airsickness aboard the Highwind."

"Oh come ON"

He chuckled and leaned closer. The deep purr rattled in Nanaki's chest and together they watched the sun start to sink below the canyon walls. Maybe they didn't need to take out all of the hard parts of the story. If they did that then who would understand how important it was to be able to cuddle with a friend and watch the sunset? It certainly felt a lot different to her now than it did when she was sixteen. "Happy birthday, Nan."


End file.
